Transmission
by CloudyRaven
Summary: Kanan never thought his past with the Bridgers would come back to haunt him after Trayvis's betrayal. Out of all his memories, one of the few he always comes back to are those of the couple he met days after escaping Kaller.
1. Chapter 1

Sleep always managed to evade Kanan. It was part of the reason why he spent so many nights wandering the Ghost if meditating did not keep his mind off the past. The Force usually found ways to calm him down with his crews' presence but, sometimes, it only made things worse. No matter how much he tried, his old fears always found him in the worst situations.

The jedi willed his eyelids to droop, but his mind refused to shut itself off. Even though no missions were planned for tomorrow, none of them knew what would happen next. If there were, they would be on other planets. He and Hera decided it was best to avoid Lothal for a while shortly after Trayvis's betrayal until everything settled down. It was a miracle the whole crew escaped those sewers uninjured. Well, physically, anyways.

Five minutes later, Kanan sat on the edge of the bed. _Looks like this will be another long night._

He ran his fingers through his hair as he stood up and walked over to his closest. If Hera checked on him, she could scold him for all he cared. It was better than visiting nightmares that never seemed to fade with time.

The jedi shrugged into a grey sweat shirt and started down the hallway. He decided to leave his hair down since everyone was sleeping at this hour. The only other person outside of the crew to see him like this was dead at best if what the Senator implied was true. Just thinking about that possibility made him sick. It was bad enough the Bridgers were taken away from Ezra at such a young age, but the thought of them being dead was too much.

 _We all lost enough family,_ he mentally sighed.

A part of him was relieved Hera did not know about his sister. Not only would it bring up unwanted memories, but also complicate things between them. Still, he could not help but feel guilty keeping this from her. When they first met, the twi'lek only agreed to work with him as a partner. Kanan did not know when it turned into friendship or how their family formed, but he was glad it happened. It meant they were no longer alone.

The sound of a door opening and closing, followed by footsteps, pulled the jedi from his thoughts. The last time he checked, everyone was supposed to be in bed. Who could be up this late?

On the way to the common room, he stopped by Hera's cabin. It would not surprise Kanan to find her bunk empty. If the pilot was not in there, then she would be in the cockpit stargazing or being briefed on a last minute mission. Like him, she often suffered from insomnia. Between evading the Empire and staying alive, the stress was bound to get to them.

She was sleeping when Kanan quietly opened the door and leaned against the frame. His chest tightened as the faint light from the hallway showed how worn down the twi'lek really was. The jedi never understood why Hera tried to shoulder the weight of the whole crew; he was doing that for all of them.

He closed the door and continued down the hallway. The ship was quiet with the exception of the hum of the ventilation system. Just as he rounded the corner, a small figure bumped into his chest and stumbled back to regain balance.

"Kanan?" Ezra shuttered. "What are you doing up?"

The jedi crossed his arms. It has not been long since they began his Jedi training yet he could not shake the feeling that the Force intended for him to be his master. The kid has been making an effort to distance himself from anyone who wanted to help him ever since Empire Day. Sabine was painting him an extra birthday present after his own efforts to cheer Ezra up failed. It was during times like these where he found himself wondering why he was the only person who could train him.

"I should be asking you the same thing," he said. "Why are you not in bed?"

"Before you ask, I finished eating a few minutes ago." Ezra started, "I forgot something on the table. That's why I went back to the common room."

Kanan could tell from the bags under his Padawan's eyes that he barely slept. If they were not training, the kid was spending his time in the cabin he shared with Zeb. According to Lasat, he just laid on his bunk staring at a framed family picture. When he and Hera learned that Ezra decided to nest in the rear turret at dinner, they let him be. After receiving harsh news like that, who wouldn't hole themselves up?

"Nightmares?" he asked worriedly.

"I just can't sleep," Ezra said.

Kanan wished there was something he could to make this bearable for him. Unfortunately, physical wounds healed within weeks; emotional injuries were different. It could take years for him to get over this bout of depression.

"Want to talk about it?"

The teen slowly met his master's blue-green eyes before trying to brush past him. "Really, its nothing."

"Ezra..." he trailed off.

"Kanan, it's just a dream." Ezra told him, "I'm going to bed, anyway. So you don't have to worry about training tomorrow."

The jedi gently squeezed his student's shoulder. He could feel his heart strings snap as he remembered his sister doing the exact same thing. It was not just the helplessness in his Padawan's voice; it was the memories of what he had to go through himself. This was one way how Ezra followed in his mother's footsteps. The last time they saw each other was on Lothal years ago when they both went their separate ways.

"Just know we are all here for you," Kanan reminded him.

"Now can I go to bed?" he nodded tiredly.

Kanan let go of his shoulder and sadly watched the teen walk down the hall. Sighing, the jedi headed towards the common room as the guilt crushed him.

 _If you only knew, Kid,_ he thought. _If you all knew._

A holodisk skidded across the metal floor into the foyer. He walked over to the opposite wall to pick it up. It did not take long to realize that this was the same disk Ezra found in the basement of his old house. From what he heard from Hera, Sabine supposedly cleaned it up. He did not know whether to be worried or relieved. The jedi still could not wrap his head around how his Padawan, let alone his sister, knew Tseebo.

Another wave of guilt hit him as tears sprung to his eyes. He should have pulled the Rodian to the side before they left for Fort Anaxes. Maybe now he would not be feeling this heavy.

 _Mira, what would you have done if you were here?_

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: Rebels.

I wrote this first chapter to the best of my ability. For anyone is reading or following "Blue Eyes," please know I have not given up on it. In other news, what do you think will happen? Will Hera find out? If so, how will she react?


	2. Chapter 2

Kanan took a calming breath sliding the disk into his pocket. He could sense Ezra's growing worry and paranoia wiping the tears rolling down his face. What the kid needed right now was sleep, and that was something he would not get if he spent half the night worrying about his well-being. He has been fumbling through Jedi training and losing focus more than usual since Empire Day.

Their latest raid on the spice of mines of Kessel has proven that. According to Fulcrum, the Empire was transporting crates of kyber crystals to manufacture a new type of blaster rifle. Thankfully, they managed to blow up the cargo on the planet before it could be loaded onto the transporter that was waiting at the dock yard. Thinking back on it now, he was glad it did not turn into another space battle.

The first mission had a similar objective with the exception of the large fleet being so close to Lothal. Then, the whole crew was separated. The Ghost felt empty without their other four crew mates running around the ship, creating some kind of chaos. It was a feeling Kanan thought he would never feel again nearly a decade after the fall of the Order.

The jedi sat down as he pulled the holodisk from his pocket, sighing. A part of him wanted to see what made this disk so important to Ezra, but his better judgement won out. Jedi had little privacy since trained individuals could literally read others' thoughts and actions before they were formed. Thankfully, Master Billaba never intentionally used this method to get him to talk.

Kanan studied the disk before massaging his forehead. All he could see was the girl Mira used to be when they were growing up on Coruscant. The planet had once been their home world until everything fell apart for the galaxy. The few memories he had were snippets of his parents and Mira in a fairly small house.

It did not take long for the jedi to give in. There were unanswered questions that went back eight years. As selfish as he was, Kanan had to figure out the truth before he could help Ezra through his grief.

 _If I don't, then neither of us will move on._

He plugged the disk into the second information port. The projection broke what was left of his heart. It has been years since that 'message' yet this hologram somehow confirmed what he learned nearly ten years ago. They were kidnapped by the Empire, leaving their son to fend for himself.

Tears blurred the image of Mira smiling over her shoulder at Ezra as she gave him a piggy back ride. He was no older than seven. It was that grin that reminded the jedi of their father. He barely remembered what the man looked but the one thing that always stuck with him was how much they shared the same facial features. Kanan let his tears roll down his cheeks as he shook his head.

 _So Ezra and Tseebo were telling the truth,_ he thought sadly. _Where was he living other than that tower? How did he survive at that age?_

Kanan barely had time to process the shock and horror as the sound of soft footsteps reached his ears. He took a shaky breath and wiped his eyes before looking to see who else chose to stay up late.

"Hera?" the jedi blinked. "What are you doing up?"

The pilot walked over and sat beside him.

"I wanted to check on you," she told him. "That's why you stopped by my room, right?"

Kanan knew it was useless to avoid the subject. The conversation they had after transferring Tseebo into Fulcrum's custody has been eating him up. It did not surprise him that Hera would be the one to notice his strange behavior.

The jedi stared at the broken family portrait. He could not breath or, at the very least, tell her how he knew the Bridgers. What would she do? How would she react knowing she was traveling with one of the few people capable of locating them all this time?

"Kanan?" she asked, worried.

"Remember the Intel Tseebo gave us?" the jedi slowly began.

"He said the Bridgers were taken by the Empire eight years ago," Hera quietly recalled. "He also told me Mira had a younger brother. Unfortunately, no one knows nothing about him or if he is still alive. Do you know what happened to him?"

Kanan felt his stomach twist into knots hearing this information again. He was coward who ran away when the Jedi needed him most and, later on, the family he had left in the galaxy. He sadly looked over at the twi'lek.

"You're sitting next him."

The jedi leaned on the table and bowed his head. He would not blame Hera for being disgusted with him. Withholding this information not only hurt himself, but also Ezra. Kanan was always encouraging the teen to open up yet here he was mentally pulling away from her.

 _Maybe Ezra would be advancing in his training if I only told him in the beginning._

He felt a small hand gently grip his shoulder. Sitting up, the jedi met Hera's wild green eyes. She was probably recovering from shell shock.

"So that's why you have Ezra's holodisk?" the pilot managed. "You did not sneak into his and Zeb's room, did you?"

"We bumped into each other while he was heading to their cabin," he explained. "I am going to give it back to him but I need to see what Mira looked like on their last day."

Hera stared at the hologram. It was nice to know Ezra had someone who cared for him before it was taken away. She wished there was some way to reunit them, but all that depended on what her friend knew. Much like his teacher, Ezra managed to surprise them all. If they were still alive, maybe all four of them could see each other again.

She glanced over at her friend as a few tears slid down her cheeks. This was not the first time he cried but knowing the reason behind this episode made her understand why Kanan never talked about his past as much. There are times when he admits to being depressed over the events that took place during the Clone Wars. He never once implied that Jedi had any knowledge of their birth families.

"Does Ezra know you are his uncle?"

Kanan shook his head. The jedi was terrified of losing Ezra if he ever found out about his past.

"He has no clue at all," he said. "I know where you are heading with this but its too soon."

"But he has to know he is not a orphan," Hera pleaded. "Kanan, you are more than his master. For all we know, you could be the only family he has left in the galaxy."

The jedi stared at the family picture before looking down at his fisted hands. The word did not sound right coming from Hera's mouth but she meant well. He, too, was once left to fend for himself.

"That's a possiblity," he sighed in agreement. "There could be a chance Ephriam and Mira are still alive. After what happened eight years ago, I should be able to do that for Ezra."

Hera did not need to be Force-sensitive to guess his worst fear. While meeting Fulcrum's men, Tseebo admitted that going into protective custody seemed easier. From what she could gather, Ezra forgave him for failing to save his parents.

"You're scared of Ezra's reaction," she realized.

Kanan ran his fingers through his hair as he took a deep breath. _Leave it to Hera to guess what is going through my head._

"It took a near death experience for the Kid to forgive Tseebo," he sighed. "How long do you think it will take for him to do the same with me?"

The pilot placed one hand over his fists. She did not know how to comfort Kanan knowing the arguement that would follow could cause a riff between him and Ezra. One of the few things she could do was be there for them through all of this.

"They may have been forced into hiding," the twi'lek told him. "Besides, we both know it would not last long."

Kanan wiped the last of his tears away. While what the pilot said was true, anything could have happened to them. Underground boardcastors who spoke out aganist the Empire either spent the rest of their lives in a Imperial prison until they agreed to cooperate or executed for treason. If he knew his sister well enough, she and Ephriam would have chosen a life time of imprisonment if it meant protecting their son from a fate worse than death.

"Maybe but that still does not change the fact that I was not there," he said. "They were taken three years after we started traveling together."

Hera bit her lip. There was so much she wanted to know but it was not worth it if it hurt Kanan. The few years they spent traveling together could only heal so much, but that did not make mean it was possible to move past what happened. One of the few things the twi'lek has learned about him was that he had a surprisingly fragile mind set. Before now, she could not imagine the two jedi being related. It would explain why they got along so well. According to Kanan, it was forbidden for Jedi to form relationships.

They both sat in silence for four minutes before the pilot spoke up. "How long have you known?"

Kanan looked towards the door. He could not shake the feeling that Ezra never went to bed. The teen could stay quiet when he wanted to, especially if he was spying on someone. It was one of the reasons why they always sent him undercover to gather Intel. Most fifteen year olds would be slightly taller than his Padawan but that did not mean he still had the potential to become a Jedi.

"Hold that thought," he told Hera.

The jedi shut down the projector and lay the disk on the table top. Ezra's anger and betrayal nearly smothered him the closer he got to the door. Underneath all this, he picked up sadness. That last emotion made him sick. It had to be his Padawan since he often lost his temper over the smallest issues when stressed. He found the teen glaring up at him as if he were the Inquisitor.

"So you knew how to find my parents the whole time?!" Ezra sounded hurt and confused. "Why didn't you say something?!"

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: Rebels.

mpathy: Kanan knew he was in trouble the whole time. So let's hope he manages to keep his head.

Guest: In this story, yes.

Here is the second chapter as promised. It looks like this will be three or four chapters long.


	3. Chapter 3

Kanan knew telling Ezra was going to be difficult, but he never thought it would be this hard. The Brigders were his family just as much as they were to him. If either of them were standing here, one of them would have bit his head off before their son could. Ephraim would not have cared if someone from his crew were in the room, that much he remembered. Now that it crossed his mind, he would have been sent to the med bay with a few broken ribs or dislocated jaw.

The jedi took a breath and looked into his Padawan's blue eyes. The betrayal he sensed a few seconds ago reflected the loss each of them tried to bury everyday. _What can I say to make this right?_

A small hand squeezed his shoulder. He glanced over his shoulder to see Hera nodding encouragement. Looking back at Ezra, Kanan braced himself for the worst.

"I was going to tell you two days ago after training but then you had that vision of Trayvis," the jedi quietly explained. "I guess now is better than any other time."

Ezra looked between him and Hera before glaring at the ground. It took the teen five minutes at most to find the words neither of them could not say without crushing what hope he had left. It felt longer than that to Kanan considering he could dart off and hole himself up in the top turret again. There was nowhere he could go outside the ship since they were in hyperspace.

"Why now?" he barely whispered. "You knew and never told me. Why would you now?"

"Let's continue this at the table," Kanan told him. "It's going to take a while to explain."

"I bet," Ezra snapped.

The three of them sat in awkward silence. The questions hanging between them were coming at the jedi quicker than he could answer them in his mind. Sighing, he studied his Padawan closely.

"When we first met on Lothal, I thought my imagination was getting the best of me. The last time anyone heard from your parents was over a transmission concerning the Empire's new docking regulations," Kanan quietly began. "If the Imperials inspected the ship of anyone suspicious, they were to arrest them."

Hera let those words sink in. Up until now, she never understood why Kanan always hung on to the Bridgers' words as if they were the teachings of the Jedi. The couple they saw on that holodisk hardly looked like the distant relatives she has come to learn about. Then there was their youngest crew member to think of, and it all made sense.

"Hera, you go on to bed," the jedi insisted.

Th twi'lek shook her head, smiling tiredly. "Someone has to stay with you two to keep things civil."

Kanan folded his arms. Hera was nothing if not determined as was being proven. There were so many memories he could pull from, but there was no denying his connection to Ezra's parents now. The life he knew at the temple involved constant training under the threat of death every day no matter where they woke up in the galaxy. Some Jedi eventually stopped thinking about the number of droids they encountered in battle it was no different than visiting an refugee camp. Fortunately, his master was nothing like that when it came to her comrades, especially him.

"I think I can handle this conversation," he said. "Besides, don't we have a mission tomorrow?"

"I checked with Fulcrum. She said she would contact me when she had something for us." she reassured, "Besides, I'm curious about how you figured out Ezra was their son."

Ezra did not know which drove him insane: the fact that they would not spit it out or knowing Kanan was his uncle. It was a relief someone from his family was alive, but how did Hera know about this? Was she in on the secret, too?

He stared at Hera in shock. "You also knew?"

The twi'lek shook her head sadly. "I just found out myself."

"Wait, he never told you?" the teen blinked. "I thought you told each other everything."

"We all have our secrets, Kid." Kanan admitted, "Your mom was my older sister."

Ezra picked up his holodisk and stared at it. He could not look either of them in the eyes knowing they would try to guess his next words. All he could think about was their last day together and the chaos that took place that night as storm troopers dragged them away.

"If she was your sister, then why did you abandon her and my dad?!" Ezra demanded. "Come to think of it, how did you know about me in the first place?!"

Tears blurred his vision as he tried to calm down. Despite his training, he could not keep his anger in check like he was being taught.

Kanan took a deep breath as he watched his nephew lash out. The jedi did not need to tap into their training bond to know how upset he was. There was still a part of him doing the exact same thing. Even if his own grief and anger was kept in check, it always came out at the wrong time. The galaxy somehow always cornered those close to him.

"Our parents found out I was Force-Sensitive at the age of four when we lived on Courscant," he recalled. "Back then, Jedi were taken from their families at a young age and given to their masters to raise. Your mom begged her not to take me, but Master Billaba managed to explain why I had to leave."

"How old was Mira?" Hera asked.

The jedi sadly smiled at the memory of his older sister. He could imagine Mira begging the troopers not to take Ezra minutes after bypassing their door locks. Their parents may have been middle class citizens, but they were not innocent of petty crimes themselves. He distinctly remembered his sister telling him their mother was a retired bounty hunter or smuggler.

"Somewhere between nine and eleven," Kanan answered. "Its been so long that I don't know anymore."

Ezra barely processed this information. He could not imagine his own parents giving him away to a stranger they just met. The teen wiped his eyes before looking his teacher in the eye.

"Wasn't she upset? the young man asked. "Did they fight to keep you?"

"Your mother threw a fit once she realized what was going on," Kanan continued. "Our parents had to restrain her when I was taken to the temple. They knew there was so much they could do for me."

"Did you at least visit?"

Kanan shook his head. He wanted to tell Ezra that the temple allowed family visits but he could not.

"No, Jedi were discouraged from forming attachments." he said, "If we cannot keep our emotions in check, there is a chance of turning to the Dark Side."

"Seriously?" Ezra blurted. "Is now the time for a Jedi lesson?"

Hera never understood why the Jedi isolated themselves from the rest of the galaxy. This was the main reason why she left the subject of the Force to Kanan. He knew what could happen if Ezra went too far one day; she could not.

"How does this tie into what happened with the Bridgers?" she wondered.

The jedi's throat suddenly felt tight just thinking of the events that led to fall of the Republic. There are days where he finds himself hoping to wake up in a more peaceful galaxy than the one they live in now. No matter how much he tries to forget, the gore and chaos still comes back to haunt to him.

"Very few of us escaped when the Empire took power," Kanan shakily began.

He could still see Ephraim's kind smile as they walked back to the small house. Someone like him did not deserve that kindness. It did not matter if the 'traitor' was just a terrified kid who was barely surviving by the skin of his teeth. Most of the younglings never had a chance when the clones turned against them, let alone knew what was coming. By the time the Emperor declared all surviving Jedi guilty of treason, there was little anyone could do. They could only try to wrap their head around what the Jedi Order's destruction meant for everyone.

"A week after I went into hiding, your father approached me at a market place while food shopping." the jedi continued, "He caught me trying to steal a piece of fruit from his bag but it did not matter to him."

"So he offered you a place to stay?" Ezra finished.

"Your dad did not like the idea of a fourteen year old wandering the streets by himself, but that could have been because he became a new father." Kanan smiled, "I had no idea Mira was his wife until she walked in with you in her arms."

Ezra knew he was telling the truth. His father was one of the kindest people he knew growing up, so it was no surprise to hear him offer shelter to Imperial fugitives. His parents helped smuggle Imperial fugitives off-world until they could meet up with rebel cells in the past, but that did not explain why they kept the fact he had a uncle secret.

"So was I born on Courscant?" he numbly says. "Why would they keep that a secret?"

"They were trying to protect you," Kanan told him. "We spent a few days on that planet before traveling to Lothal. Whenever I got the chance to hold you on that trip, all you ever did was hang on to my finger."

Hera could imagine Ezra doing that considering the teen always tried to follow in his master's footsteps. Kanan always insisted that he stay by his Padawan's side if he ended up in the med bay.

"I wish I was there to see it," the twi'lek laughed. "How did they feel about that?"

"They both saw it as a good sign," Kanan answered grimly. "They even said I could live with them. I stayed until I received an emergency Jedi signal and smuggled myself off the planet. After that, I worked odd jobs to get by until eight years ago."

Hera paled. "You went back to Courscant?"

"I had to, Hera."

Ezra suddenly understood why his uncle was never around during his time on the streets. He did not realize that he stood up and started pacing. It was because Kanan was living it up as he and Hera were traveling all over the galaxy.

"So that's why you left us?!" he yelled. "Do you have any idea what I had to go through?! Did you even try to find me?!"

They both shared sad looks. Somehow, the truth made what happened to the Bridgers worse. It was bad enough they had to discover Ezra the way they did a few months ago. Maybe if they got there in time, they would still be on Lothal broadcasting.

Kanan walked over and placed his hands on Ezra's shoulder. The look on the teen's face broke his heart all over again. The jedi crossed his arms after seeing Ezra calmed down, but it did nothing to to lessen the guilt.

"I know and, for that, I'm sorry." the jedi apologized, "But Hera and I were halfway across the galaxy when they broadcasted a transmission saying they captured them. By the time we arrived on Lothal, there was no sign of you being on the planet."

Hera's voice came from behind. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know what I would find," he admitted.

"I was there somewhere," Ezra snipped. "You just did not look hard enough!"

The two adults shook their heads, smiling. Ezra's resilience always reminded them that he was able to take care of himself but it still worried them how he would deal with it. They learned after his first brush with the Dark Side that he could easily mask his anxieties.

"Alright, I'm going to bed." the pilot told them, "If anyone else is up, I'll make sure they stay out of your hair for the time being."

Ezra sighed in relief. "Thanks, Hera."

"No problem," she smiled.

After the door closed, he looked up at Kanan. Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, the teen decided to ask the one question that has been in the back of his mind. "Do you really think they are still alive?"

"I don't know," sighed Kanan. "But no matter how long it takes, we'll keep looking for them. Just remember I will always be at your side. What kind of uncle would I be if didn't protect my nephew?"

Ezra slyly lifted a brow. "My mom would kick your butt if she found out about the bad habits I picked up from you."

The jedi opened and shut his mouth. Even if he was a grown man, it still did not erase the memory of Mira's temper. "Well, let's hope she never sees them put to use when we do find her."

The teen shrugged as he headed towards the door. "We'll see about that, Uncle Kanan."

Everything may not be perfect but at least they had each other. Perhaps the Force not only drew him to Lothal to gain not only another crew member, but also reconnect to the family he thought he lost.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: Rebels.

Thank you to everyone who has followed or read this story. This was a fun story to write.


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